Jauniyya- the woman who sought refuge from the Prophet

Ali Sina uses a certain narration from Sahih Bukhari to misguide people about the noble character of the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him.

The narration goes as;

“Narrated Abu Usaid: We went out with the Prophet to a garden called Ash-Shaut till we reached two walls between which we sat down. The Prophet said, "Sit here," and went in (the garden). The Jauniyya (a lady from Bani Jaun) had been brought and lodged in a house in a date-palm garden in the home of Umaima bint An-Nu'man bin Sharahil, and her wet nurse was with her.

When the Prophet entered upon her, he said to her, "Give me yourself." She said, "Can a princess give herself in marriage to an ordinary man?" The Prophet raised his hand to pat her so that she might become tranquil. She said, "I seek refuge with Allah from you." He said, "You have sought refuge with One Who gives refuge. Then the Prophet came out to us and said, "O Abu Usaid! Give her two white linen dresses to wear and let her go back to her family." Narrated Sahl and Abu Usaid: The Prophet married Umaima bint Sharahil, and when she was brought to him, he stretched his hand towards her. It seemed that she disliked that, whereupon the Prophet ordered Abu Usaid to prepare her and to provide her with two white linen dresses.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Divorce, Hadith 5255)

There are certain wrong ideas that get into one’s mind as he reads this rather ‘incomplete’ narration and that too when manipulated by professional missionary liars. I call this incomplete for it does not give all the relevant details of the issue at hand. But Alhamdulillah the vast Hadith treasure saves the rest elsewhere. In the following lines I quote the narrations giving the whole story.

The Complete Story:

“Nu’man bin Abi Jaun al-Kindi embraced Islam and came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, and said; ‘Shall I not marry you to the most beautiful widow in Arabia? She was married to the son of his uncle who has now died. She is widowed, is inclined towards you and wants to marry you. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him, married her giving five hundred dirhams of dower. He (Nu’man) said, ‘Please do not reduce her dower.’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘I haven’t set up dower of any of my wives or daughters more than this.’ Nu’man said, ‘In your example is a good model. ’ He (further) said, “O Messenger of Allah send to me one who brings to you your wife, I will accompany him and send back your wife with him.’ So the Messenger of Allah sent Abu Usaid al-Sa’di with him … Abu Usaid says, ‘I stayed with them for three days, then I bore her on the camel with covering in a sedan and brought her to Medina and made her to stay with Bani Sa’da. Women of the tribe came to her and welcomed her and as they left they made a mention of her beauty. And the news of her arrival spread in the whole of Medina.’ Abu Usaid said, ‘I turned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him while he was with Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Awf and informed him of her arrival. She was the most beautiful amongst women, so when the women (of Medina) learnt of her beauty they came unto her. One of them said to her, ‘You are a queen, if you wish to be closer to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him, then say to him when he comes to you, ‘I seek refuge from you’, (this way) you will become adorable to him and he will be much inclined to you.’“ (Tabaqat al-Kubra 8/114)

Yet another narration quoted by Ibn Sa’d says it all;

“al-Jauniyya sought refuge from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him, for she was told this word will make her adorable to the Prophet. No one other woman sought refuge from him. This was a deception to her because of her beauty. When those who made her to say this were mentioned to the Messenger of Allah he said, ‘They are like the women of Yusuf and their treachery is great.’” (Tabaqat al-Kubra 8/114)

Hafiz Ibn Hajr has also quoted these narrations in Fath al-Bari to expound this Hadith.

The details above prove;

1- She was married to the Prophet, may Allah bless him

2- Her own father made the arrangement for the marriage.

3- The Prophet, may Allah bless him, was told that she herself was inclined towards him and wanted to marry him.

4- Apparently the Prophet, may Allah bless him, married her for through this relation he hoped to strengthen his relations with an important tribe.

5- She did not hate the Prophet, may Allah bless him. Infact she loved him much and in that she was deceived by a certain woman; reason being the natural jealousy among womankind.

6- The Prophet, may Allah bless him, sent her back to her family before consummation giving her two dresses.

7- This infact refutes the lies that Prophet, may Allah bless him, was taken in by some passion for women as he sent her back even though he could have kept her with him.

8- Although the narration of Bukhari does not give the complete details but the fact that al-Bukhari put this narration in the Book of Divorce testifies that he knew the whole context but brought the narration giving only the part relevant to what he aimed to deduce.

“His words, ‘Give me yourself’ were to put her at ease and to sway her heart.”

It was neither a marriage proposal nor a request to get married without dower. Ibn Hajr continues;

"And this is supported by the narration of Ibn Sa'd that he had agreed with her father on the amount of her dower and her father had told him, 'She has liking for you and wants to marry you.'” (Fath al-Bari 9/360)

10- And coming to the words of the woman; "Can a princess give herself in marriage to an ordinary man?"

This is well explained by Hafiz Ibn Hajr. He quotes Ibn al-Munir;

“This is what remained with her of ignorance and al-sauqa[the actual Arabic word translated above as ‘ordinary man’] to them refers to anyone other than a King and it appeared strange to her that a queen should marry someone who is not a King. The Prophet, may Allah bless him, could choose to become a King Prophet but he choose a slave Prophet to show his humility to his Lord. And the Prophet, may Allah bless him, did not take exception to her words and excused her as she just came from ignorance [and had not undergone Islamic culturing].” (Fath al-Bari 9/358)

She was the daughter of the chief of the tribe who had just entered Islam. Knowing that Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him, was the leader of the Muslims she must have thought of him living as Kings. But once she arrived in Medina she learned how the Prophet, may Allah bless him, lived n a simple austere manner which was no way the practice of tribal chiefs let alone kings. This background helps understand her comment. The Prophet, may Allah bless him, overlooked it as she had no knowledge of Islamic ideals.

The above details certainly kill the arguments of slanderers.

Indeed Allah knows the best!

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